121weiss

With the implementation of the new subclasses JZ and KZ for international
law and relations, the Library of Congress is now turning its attention
to improving the range and terminology of subject headings available in
this field.

As a first step, the Cataloging Policy and Support Office (CPSO) has
identified the need to establish the heading "Law of the sea,"
in effect splitting the existing subject heading "Maritime law"
into two distinct headings: "Law of the sea," to be used for
public international law, and "Maritime law," to be used only
for maritime commercial law. In order to split the heading in this manner,
it will be necessary to review all of the bibliographic records that currently
carry the heading "Maritime law" and to identify:

(a) those that do not require any change,

(b) those in which the heading "Maritime law" should be changed
to "Law of the sea," and

(c) those that should be assigned both headings.

Although it will be possible to identify many of the records to be changed
on a mechanical basis, for example, by segregating records according to
the classification number assigned, CPSO estimates that at least 500 of
the records will require individual intellectual review.

As a followup to discussions held at the AALL annual conference and
as an experiment in a new type of cooperation in the area of subject heading
revision, CPSO would like to invite interested libraries to assist with
this review of Library of Congress bibliographic records. It is envisioned
that a participating library would be assigned a certain block of records
which would be accessed over the Internet. After completing its review
of the assigned block of records, the library would submit to CPSO two
lists, one consisting of LCCNs for records in which the heading "Maritime
law" would be changed to "Law of the sea," and the other
consisting of LCCNs for records to which "Law of the sea" would
be assigned in addition to "Maritime law."

CPSO invites those libraries who would like to participate in this cooperative
endeavor to submit their expressions of interest to:

Paul G. Weiss

Senior Cataloging Policy Specialist

Cataloging Policy and Support Office

Library of Congress 101 Independence Ave. S.E.

Washington, DC 20540

Email: pwei@loc.gov

Telephone: (202) 707-5803

FAX: (202) 707-6629

FORWARD to next article: "AALL Awards
Nominations"BACK to the Table of Contents